Religious quotes and news – July 12, 2026

Love of God and neighbour

During his visit to Lampedusa, Pope Leo framed the issue of migration within the framework of love:

“Unfortunately, in every age there are those who fear being ‘contaminated’ by contact with others, thus denying – even in the face of suffering and death – our common origin in God, the infinite dignity of every human being, and the call to boundless love. It is time to recognise and affirm that religious affiliation must never become a reason for discrimination, as if faith had boundaries rather than being a universal call to salvation.

“Where there were walls of separation, Christ broke them down (cf. Eph 2:14). There is no love of God without love of neighbour, and there is no neighbour if I do not draw near. To pause, to be moved, to bend down, to weep before another’s pain – as Jesus did – means entering into the dynamic of love, the very movement in which God has revealed himself.”

Archbishop decries prison conditions

Archbishop Samuel Kleda of Douala, Cameroon, in a pastoral letter “born out of a spirit of urgent compassion”, decried the inhumane prison conditions in his country:

“The way we treat prisoners is a measure of our relationship with God. Ignoring their suffering means ignoring Christ. Committing ourselves to alleviating their suffering and restoring justice means serving Christ.”

Beauty of friendship

Speaking about the beauty of friendship, Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe said:

“Friendship is more than a warm emotion. We are each the fruit of the deep friendships of our lives. Every friendship brings into being some aspect of us that would never otherwise have existed. Friendship is a way in which God works creatively in each of us, forming us for love.

“St Irenaeus said we are formed by the two hands of the Father, the Son and the Spirit. I would add that the Son is the friend and the Spirit is friendship. So every true, faithful, well-lived friendship is a sharing in the life of God.”

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)